Solitaire Card Games: What They Are and How to Play the Main Variants
Solitaire is a card game designed for one player, played with a standard deck (or sometimes two). The goal is almost always the same: sort the shuffled cards into ordered piles using a fixed set of moves. The name "solitaire" is French for "alone," and in the UK and much of Europe the same family of games is called "patience." When most people say "solitaire," they mean Klondike — the version built into Windows — but Klondike is only one of hundreds of variants. This guide covers what the games share, how Klondike, Spider, and FreeCell differ, and how to play your first hand of Klondike.
What most solitaire games have in common
Nearly every variant shares these elements:
- A shuffled deck (or two). Klondike and FreeCell use one 52-card deck; Spider uses two decks (104 cards).
- A tableau. The main playing area where cards start face-up or face-down in columns.
- Foundations. Target piles, usually built up by suit from Ace to King, where completed sequences go.
- A stock and waste (or free cells). A draw pile you turn over, plus a place to hold cards temporarily.
- Win condition. Move all cards to the foundations in order.
Rules vary in how strictly you can move cards, how many you can move at once, and whether you may redeal. Those differences are what make each variant feel distinct.
Klondike vs. Spider vs. FreeCell
| Klondike | Spider | FreeCell | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decks | 1 (52 cards) | 2 (104 cards) | 1 (52 cards) |
| Tableau | 7 columns | 10 columns | 8 columns |
| Builds down by | Alternating colors | Same suit (or any suit, depending on difficulty) | Alternating colors |
| Extra space | Stock + waste | Stock (deals of 10) | 4 free cells |
| Moves at once | 1 card (or a valid sequence) | A same-suit run | Limited by free cells and empty columns |
| Difficulty | Easy to moderate | Moderate to hard | Moderate; most deals solvable |
The practical difference: Klondike is the most forgiving to learn. Spider demands long same-suit sequences and gives you fewer second chances. FreeCell is fully open from the start — no face-down cards — so it rewards planning rather than luck, and nearly every deal is winnable with correct play.
How to play your first game of Klondike
- Deal the tableau. Lay out 7 columns. The first column gets 1 card, the second gets 2, and so on to 7. Turn the top card of each column face-up; the rest stay face-down.
- Place the stock. The remaining 24 cards go face-down in a draw pile. Turn over cards from here one at a time (or three at a time in the harder "draw three" rule) into a waste pile.
- Build down in alternating colors. On the tableau, place a red card on a black card one rank higher (for example, a red 6 on a black 7). Only the exposed top card of each column is movable.
- Move Aces to the foundations. Build each foundation up by suit: Ace, 2, 3 … King. Once a card is on a foundation, it stays there.
- Flip face-down cards. When you clear the face-up cards from a column, turn over the next face-down card. Empty columns can hold a King (or a sequence starting with a King).
- Win by moving all 52 cards to the four foundations.
Common sticking points: You can only move a group of cards if they form a valid descending alternating-color sequence. If you get stuck, check whether recycling the waste pile is allowed — in standard Klondike you may redeal the stock, but some rule sets limit this.
Physical deck vs. digital
You can play any of these with a real deck on a table, which is how the games originated. Digital versions add conveniences: automatic dealing, undo, hints, timed scoring, and instant rule enforcement. If you're choosing an app or a collection, look for:
- The variants you actually want — some apps ship only Klondike; others bundle hundreds of games.
- Undo and hint features, which matter most while learning.
- Rule options such as draw-one vs. draw-three, and whether redeals are limited.
- Platform support — confirm it runs on your system (for example, Windows 10 or Windows 11) before downloading.
SolSuite Solitaire, for instance, describes itself as a collection of more than 800 solitaire games, which suits players who want variety beyond the three core variants. Check the current feature list and any purchase terms on the developer's site, since those details change.
Where to start
If you're new, begin with Klondike using the draw-one rule — it teaches the core mechanics with the least frustration. Move to FreeCell once you're comfortable planning several moves ahead, and try Spider when you want a longer, harder challenge. All three use the same basic idea: turn a shuffled deck into ordered piles, one legal move at a time.